19 | honesty
The next time Cedric had a chance to see Amara was in Potions. He didn't have any excuse to see her these last couple of days.
"You did amazing on that second task Diggory," William said when he took his seat in their last class for the day. Cedric thanked him with a smile as William continued, "I think you've got a real chance at winning."
Cedric didn't say anything then as Amara walked in with Thomas. Her eyes roamed the class before landing on Cedric and a small smile spread across her face. She made her way over holding something in her hand. When she was at her seat she presented it to him.
He couldn't help but to break out in soft laughter at the sight. It was a wand charm of a little mermaid. He held up in the light, "This is... thank you?"
Amara laughed, "I snuck out to Hogsmeade to get it so please be a little more enthusiastic."
"This is the best thing I've ever been gifted Amara, the joy this brings me," Cedric went on, "I could cry, it's just so amazing. I'd always wanted one."
"Yeah that's what I assumed," Amara said, "But seriously, you did great."
Cedric just smiled to himself as he set the mermaid charm down. He looked at it one more time before Snape was coming in ready to start the class. Lennon flashed him a smile, "But isn't it insane how Harry Potter was the last up and he came in almost tied with you, Ced."
"Wasn't Fleur last?" William asked.
"I mean, she couldn't do it so technically Harry was the last to complete the task," Lennon explained.
"Oi, Ced, I didn't know there was something between you and Cho Chang," William pointed out. He was a Ravenclaw like Cho so he wasn't a stranger to her. He also knows they attended the ball together and that Cho was his possession in the task.
Cedric tensed as his eyes side glanced toward Amara. She acted busy with her textbook and quills. He looked over to William, "We're just good friends, is all."
"Right... friends," Lennon laughed as if it had been a funny joke. She looked to Amara with a playful smirk, "Don't you think Cedric and Cho look a little more than friends?"
"It doesn't really matter what I think," Amara said with a small shrug as she stared at Snape once he started talking. Cedric looked back at her with a little disappointment. What she thinks does matter, at least to him. It's not that he wants her to think he has romantic feelings for anyone but he just wants to know what she thinks.
Amara of course felt awkward herself. What was she even supposed to say? On one hand a part of her feels uneasy. Maybe it's the attention Cedric has been getting recently but she feels strange. It's not like she doesn't know what she's feeling. She knows it's a little bit of jealousy but does she even have a right to feel that way? It's not like she's with Cedric. He's not hers so why does it bother her to hear everyone assume he's with Cho. It makes her feel bad because Cho is her friend as well and yet she finds herself annoyed.
It wasn't until after class that Cedric went after Amara. She had been leaving the classroom with Thomas when he went ahead and called for her, "Amara, can we talk for a moment?"
She and Thomas looked back at him. Thomas' hand was reaching out for her wrist but he never went for it. He let her go with Cedric instead. They stood on the spiral cobblestone staircase packed with students leaving to their next course. She waved Thomas off and Cedric pulled her next to one of the stained glass windows so they weren't in the middle of the steps.
He's been more confident around Amara and he didn't want to regress. He had to just be more upfront with her. He shook his hair out of his face nervously, "I just want you to know, that what you think does matter, to me."
"And," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "I think the coordinators got my partner wrong. Cho is just a friend, but you're... um... you are..."
"I'm what?" Amara asked being as straightforward as she could be. He couldn't help but laugh nervously as he watched the staircase begin to clear as more people left to their destinations.
Looking back to her with his bottom lip between his teeth he answered honestly. "You're hopefully, more than just a friend? Maybe even—I'm just gonna say it, alright?"
"Okay..." Amara was slightly amused. He's yet to say anything. She smiled a little catching him a little confused. He shook the growing nerves away, "I care a lot about you and I don't want you to think I feel this way for anyone else. I know you might not feel the same but I just don't want any misunderstandings."
One of the many bells signaling a warning to rush to the next lecture filled their ears. Amara couldn't be late to Charms another day without a letter being sent to her parents so she had to think quick. There was so much that needed to be unveiled by what Cedric just said but right now, in the midst of students rushing to class, now was not the time. So instead, Amara just asked, "Are you busy tonight?"
"No," Cedric said a little dejected that she didn't immediately confess or reject him. Right now though, it was looking like more of a private rejection. Amara couldn't pin his expression well so instead she quickly added in, "Alright, can you meet me in the Astronomy Tower before curfew?"
He gave a subtle nod looking anywhere but at her and she couldn't help but think that the Hufflepuff had a cute way of expressing herself, unlike what she's used to. So, she leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek, "Okay, see you then."
And his face reddened from the unexpectedness. It's not like he's never been interested in a girl before, he's been in a relationship before but it was obviously different. Not that he's in a relationship with Amara but he definitely felt different. At first he thought it was just curiosity, the urge to befriend Amara Rosier. Over time he's quickly learned that it's not the case and slowly but surely they were warming up to each other. If only he would've acted sooner rather than later then he would've asked her to the ball.
Then he wouldn't have asked Cho, and the judges wouldn't confuse who he considered to be dearest to him. Now he can only hope that things between the two clear for the better.
::.
I'm backkkkk, please comment and lmk what you think :)
